Method of and means for taking soil tests



July 25, 1933. R. H. BURKE Er AL METHOD 0F AND MEANS FOR TAKING SOIL TESTS Filed 0G13. 50, 1931 Patented July 25, 1933` V tangier "Feier-1 g entre is. BURKE., or Evanston, .aan AN'rHoNY a'. sensei-maa, or CHICAGO, LLINoIs METHOD ANI) MEANS EDR TAKING SOIL TESTS` Application filed Gctober 30, 1931.

This invention relates to the taking ot. soil tests, and has to do more particularly with a. method for taking such tests and means `tor practicing such method.

ln building and analogous operations, it is desirable that tests be taken et the soil Where a structure is to be erected to determine the condition and natureA oit the soil Yprior to commencement of buildn'lg operations. rlhis is commonly done to determine ,he extent and nature ot the ioundati n required, in order that construetioirCompanies bid-ling on a particular vrorlr or Job may be in a position to determine the `probable amount ot Work, material and related tactors probably involvedfin the construction ot the foundation.

lt is known to make tests of the soil by means oit an auger or boring tool Whieh penetrates the soil'to a considerable depth. r)Tests made in this manner are not altogether satisfactory ieeause the soil is cut up and loosened bythe operation of theV tool."

lVhile testing by means oi a boring tool indientes approximately the Alocation Land thickness of the `various strata .through which the tool par s, the condition oif-sueh strata cannot be d rmined aceurately'trom the boring. Furthermore, the boring fte-st d es not give an accurate cross-section; of the soil penetrated in suoli manner that-the various strata can beobserved and inspect-- soil can be madey expeditiously and with 1faeility. -More speciiieally,.our inventionhas asV one of its primary objects the provision ojl' a method whereby a columnor core of soll Withdrawn trom the soil and exposed, Withl Figure 9 members similar tothe member otFigure :members together;

`our invention. .Y e I In one form of thedeviee .of ourinvention -Shape in cross-section kand openl at'one side kthis member being of considerable lengtli and constituting, in .eech an elongated Serial No. 572,052.

is separated Jfrom the surrounding` soil in such manner that the strata ot" this column remain in their natural and undisturbed condition, the column thus separated being out being disturbed, for inspection and consideration. lt isalso an object of our invention to provide simple and-etlicient means tor carrying out the method set forth. Y Further objects and advantages ot our invention Will appear from thedetailed description. p K V In the drawing Y, -l

vlFigure l is a plan view of oneotthe members ot the testing device ofY our invention;V Y Y Figure 2 is a plan View of the testing device ot' our invention, showing the members thereotlv in assembled relation Figures 3, 4,5 and 6 are views illustrating thesuecessivesteps of our method, Figures V3,' and 5 showing, in section, .the soil to `be tested andthe manner ot procuring a eolumnor core of such soil, Figure 6` being on an enlarged scale and, illustiating the column of soil obtained and the manner of exposing the same for observation; l

Figure `7 is a` section taken substantially on line 7-7 tof-Figure 6; 'l

`lligure 8 's aplan vieu7 of a-inember simi- .lar tot-hat ot Figure l, but ad-aptedlfordattachment to a similar member; Y A,

1s afragmentary elevation of two u v Y u illustrating the means vfor soeur-ing1 lsuoh yFigure il() isa plan vievv otaf. form ot deviceffor practicing-the method Voit We provide a member lot approXiIn-atelygV- trough. Member l is ,Conveniently formed vot anglegiron and is adaptedtoloe, driven .into :the soil, in'any"suitablel or preferred manner, l to the .desired depth. A uohannel member 2 cooperates with member l, ianges 3 ot member 2 being Ydisposed to it about the outer edge portions of the arms of member 1, in substantial parallelism with and adjacent the outer faces of such arms. ner, member 2 is mounted for sliding movement along member 1 and is held against .movement away from member 1. Then the channel member 2 is in operative relation to the angle member 1,this channel member provides a closure for the outer side of the angle member. Preferably, though not necessarily, the lower end of channel member 2 is inclined downwardly and inwardly,l at l, toward member 1. rlhis inclining or beveling of the lower end of member 2 is advantageous in that it urges this member toward member 1, when the channel member is Vdriven into the soil along member 1 which has previously beenl driven into the soil. i

In practicing the method of our invention, the angle member 1 is first driven into the soil to the desired depth and so as to penetrate the various strata of the soil, as shown in Figure 3. lVhen thus driven into the soil, member 1 serves to partially'.separate a core or column of soil from the surrounding` soil, it being noted that member 1 is of noncontinuous cross-section sorthat the column of soil thus partially separated from the surrounding soil remains in its original condition with the strata of the soil in their natural and undisturbed condition and relation. After the member 1 has thus been driven to the desired depth, member 2 is driven downwardly along member 1, as in Figure 1, the channel member being driven to the same depth as the angle member. Member 2 slides downwardly `along member 1, and is urged toward the same by the beveled or inclined lower portion il, as above described. As the channel mem'ber is driven downwardly, it completes the separation of the column of soil from the surrounding soil. This column of soil retains its original condition, so tha 'the various strata of the column thus separated from the surrounding soil. correspond accurately in their condition and relation tothe strata of the surrounding soil. The core or column of soil thus separated is firmly held by friction between the members 1 and 2, these members and the core being then withdrawn from, the soil as a unit, as indicated in Figure. In this manner, we separate, with expedition and accuracy, a column or core of soil from the surrounding soil, thiscore preserving accurately the-condition and relation of the strata of such surrounding soil. i

.The core thus separated, after being withdrawn together with the members 1 and 2 as .above explained, isthen exposed for observation and inspection, by sliding the channel member 2 lengthwise off of the angle member 1, as indicate-din Figure 6. For this purpose, the core, together with members In this man- 1 and 2, after being withdrawn from the soil is disposed in approximately horizontal position with the channel member 2 uppermost, this member being then slid otl' of member 1 and exposing the entire core or any desired portion thereof. The member 1, when thus disposed, serves as a trough to support and retain the core, as in Figure 7. As will be clear from Figures 2 and 7, the inner surface of member 1, with which the core 5 of soil contacts, is of materially greater area than the inner face of channel member 2 with which the core 5 contacts. As a result, when member 2 is slid off of member 1 no objectionable disturbance of core 5 occurs, so that this core gives an accurate crosssection of the soil penetrated by the members 1 and 2, the various strata of the soil being in the same condition andrelation as in the surrounding soil from which the core or column vwas-taken. The method of our invention, therefore, provides simple and highly eflicient means for determining withpre- -cision the relation and condition of the strata of the soil tested.

The members 1 and 2 of the device of our invention may be` of any desired length,

within practical limits. If desired, such members may be made up in sectional form, as shown in the modified form of Figures 8 'f` andi). In this form, the anglemember 6 is shown as formed in two sections 7 and 8, the latter of which is provided with suitably disposed lugs 9 through which extend bolts 10 having downwardly tapering heads 11. These bolts pass through lugs 12 at the lower end of section 7, nuts 13 being screwed upon the bolts and bearing against the upper faces of lugs 12. Also, the channel member may be formed in sections secured together in Pfethe same 'manner as the sections of the angle member, and the sections of the angle member and of the channel member may be secured together in any suitable or preferred manner. i C

In the modified form of testing device illustrated in Figure 10, we employ two members 111 of approximately semi-circular shape, each of these members being provided at one edge with a socket element 15 extend- U ing lengthwise thereof and, at its other edge,

Vwith a bead element 16 extending lengthwise thereof and fitting into the cooperating socket element 15 of the other member 14.

The members 14 are, in general, similar inf/"isol construction to sheet piling of known type.

. The members 14 of Figure 10 are used in thesame manner as members 1 and 2 of Figures 1 to 7, inclusive, for obtaining a'l column or core of soil for test purposesfiais After the core, together with the'enclosing members 14, has been withdrawn from the soil, either ofthese members may be slid lengthwise off of the other for exposing thePM core. The members 14 are driven intoithe l Figures l to 9, inclusive, eitherof the mem-` bers of such device may be driven rst though we prefer to drive the angle member i'irst since encloses the greater portion ot the core of soil to be tal-Ien and eilectively retains the core during driving ot the channel member.

Preferably, the device for taking of the core soil consists of two members, as illustrated and above described. ln its broader aspects, however, our invention comprehends any suitable method and means for separating a column or core of soil from the surrounding soil and withdrawing the column thus separated and exposing it for ob 7 servation and inspection, while maintaining the strata ol the soil column in theiroriginal or natural condition and relation. lVith regard to the device for separating and with- Y thawing` the core of soil, our invention compreliends any suitable device for this purpose, and such device may comprise a plurality ol members which, when successively driven into the soil in juxtaposed andco operating relation, serve to separate a column or core of soil fromV the surrounding soil and to enclose such core eilectively and in such. manner as to withdraw the core with such members upon withdrawal ot the latter, the members of the device preferably being' separable for exposing the core in the manner above described.

What we claim is l. ln combination in a device of the charactor described, a trough-like member open at its lower end and at one side and adapted to be driv n into the soil, and a second member adapted to be driven into the soil at and along the open side or the first member and to close said open side, said members having means Lor holding them in cooperating relation with said second member closing the open side of the first member.

2. ln combination in a device orl the char-Y actor described, a trough-like member open at its lower end and at one side and adapted to be driven into the soil, and a second member slidable lengthwise oi the rst member at the open side thereof and adapted to be driven into the soil adjacent said first mehr ber and in position to close the open side thereof, the inner surface of the first mem ber being of appreciable greater area than the inner surface of the second member and said second member being of suflicient Width to close the open side of the irst member.

3. The method of taking samples of soil, which comprises driving into the soil and to a considerable depth extending through a plurality ot soil strata a troi'i'gh-lile member open at lower end and forming two sides of a triangle and thereby partially separating a'column of soil from the surrounding soil, drivine' into the soil and along the open side of said member a ilat member forming the third side or' the triangle and therebycompleting severing of the column ironi the surrounding soil, the areaoi` Ycontact of the enclosed column with said members being sullicientto assure retention or said column between the members during withdrawal or the latter, and withdrawing said members and the column of soil enclosed thereby asa unit 'from the surrounding soil. i

he method o taking samples of soil,

`which com l)rises driving into the soil and to a ,considerable depth extending thro-ugh a plurality or soil strata a member open at its lower end and at one side and shaped 1n cross-section to enclose more than half or.

the perimeter of a desired column of soil, driving into the soil and along the open side of said member a second member of proper extent 'to close the open side of the first member thereby completing'.severing of the desired soil column from the surrounding soil, the area of Contact of the enclosed column with said members being suiiicient to assureV retention of said column between the members during withdrawal thereof, and withdrawing said members and the column of soil enclosed thereby as a unit 'from the surrounding soil.

RALPH H. BURKE. ANTHONY J. FORSGHNER. 

